James Robson Fletcher 1924-1991

Memories of Grandpa

These memories were given at a family party held December 27, 1999; what would have been Grandpa’s 75th birthday.

Kathie- One Christmas she was helping wrap presents after the younger kids went to bed. Grandpa would give her a present to wrap and tell her who it was for. He handed her a box and didn't say who it was for. She asked and he didn't answer, so she just wrapped it in generic paper. After she'd finished he told her to write 'To Kathie". Another Christmas memory was the Christmas they got a Monopoly game. Grandpa didn't particularly like Monopoly, especially when you got to the part of the game where you are putting hotels on properties. They played most of the afternoon. Grandpa was being silly, they laughed and laughed, the next day they had stiff stomach muscles from laughing so hard for so long. She also remembers the year that she refused to tell any one what She wanted for Christmas. Grandpa tried every trick he could think of to get her to say what she wanted, but she never would. It became a game. That was the year she got a crystal radio that she could listen to at night after everyone else was asleep. I fell asleep many nights with the antennae up attached to the metal window frame listening to that radio.

Carl- He just remembered what Grandpa looked like.

Aunt Tess- As little kids, the tree wasn't put up until Christmas Eve. They could go and look or open presents until they had eaten breakfast and their Dad got back from milking the cows.

Jim- When the church that Grandpa helped build a sister sent hot chocolate when it was 100 degrees. Grandpa explained that the sister was serving the best way that she knew how and they drank the hot chocolate.

Maribeth- They used to sit on the floor and watch TV the girls would put their always cold hands and feet on Grandpa's stomach to get them warm.

John- Grandpa always loved a good story or joke. His stories about his horses and dogs. When he hit the prize bull calf and knocked it out. Stealing watermelons. Betting $10.00 to drink a quart of cream for date money and then had to cancel the date. Switching house numbers on one of Aunt Tess' roommates at BYU. Germinating the wheat that was found with the Dead Sea Scrolls. Sitting through a trial for Kennecott and not being able to testify. Coming home after being ordained a Priest and how his mother cried because she now had the Priesthood in her home for the first time. Or when he brought home his first pay check in Draper and his mother was crying because they didn't have the money for their utility bill so he gave her the whole amount.

Jane- The girls used to sit on the floor in the living room and when they walked by smack them on the butt, well he did it to Maribeth's roommate because he thought it was Jane. And he accidently put his hand on Lori's Aunt's leg.

Helen- He was always up early and was cheerful. When they came home, he always told them he was glad to have them home.

Beckie- Grandpa always liked to tell stories and he always had a cheat sheet they were written on.

Jenny- He always dumped cold water over the top of the shower. One time she blocked it and got him, nothing was said. She wanted a cedar chest for graduation. He made her help carry it in but wouldn't let her open it. He made her wait for two hours before she could open it.

Lori- He always made her feel like part of the family and not just an in-law.

Jeff- He made him feel like part of the family. It was fun to talk about farm stuff, horses, wagons, and teams.

Gena- He always fell asleep with his hands on his belly, head back and would always snore. He always had crushed donuts and cranberry juice.

Scott- On Wednesdays every week he and Grandpa would read have donuts. They'd read from Grandpa's old readers, for 20-30 minutes they would read and then have a party.

Anna- He would always tickle us. He would also sing the Lamsie Oats and Dosie Doats.

Jill- He always took time to make sure the little kids running around him were happy. He always showed genuine concern for every person. She remembers him in the kitchen more than anywhere else. He was always making something. One time her Barbie's head came off. He put the head back on, to her that was the action of a hero to her Grandpa was a hero even after She had no more Barbie doll heads for him to fix.

Amber- He always tried to make people happy. He alwayshad time for me, he was the only adult who never minded having me tag along.

Robert- He remembers Grandpa teasing someone and seeing a lot of people at his funeral.

Jim- For three years Grandpa went on the father and sons. He talked to him about plants, and to whittle. They hiked around Silver Lake and found stuff.

Linnea- She remembers helping Grandpa feed the horses, and him playing the piano on her ribs.

Ross- He remembers going to parades with grandpa and donuts.

Greg- He remembers getting donuts.

Todd- Grandpa taking him over to the horses and horse parades.

Liz- She still has the cat grandpa gave her.

Colista- Grandpa always helped her to realize he loved her.

Joseph was only six months old when Grandpa passed away. But he and Grandma came to Texas when he was born. The morning we brought Joseph home, He was unhappy, and nobody was able to settle him down. We had fed him and changed his diaper and still nothing was working. Grandpa did as he had done hundreds of times before and with great patience started to walk with him and talk to him and sing and whistle to him all the while pacing the floor. I don't remember what was sung this time but it may have been one of his favorites, "In the Garden."

Memories of Dad By Jane Marie Fletcher Anderson

One of the best memories I have of dad when I was little was that he would lay on the floor and we would slide down his belly like it was a slippery slide. I also remember him tickling us. I would try to have control but he loved it when we couldn't stand it any longer. I loved his jokes he brought home from work that he wrote on a little piece of paper and kept in his shirt pocket. I also remember getting to sit by him at the dinner table because he kept stealing Jim's ice-cream and Jim would get mad. I remember watching him make posters and charts for church, etc. I would watch and try really hard not to bother him. He had this lettering set that I thought was really cool. I didn't buy my first computer until after he died, and I have thought many times how much he would have enjoyed what a computer could do for handouts and programs and posters. I think he would have loved e-mail.

Dad loved sports. I remember going to a basketball game at BYU at the field house and seeing Kresimer Cosic play. He bought us some popcorn that came in a megaphone. After the game I remember climbing the stairs and seeing and hearing the victory bell for the first time. Dad loved supporting any of us in sports. He was extremely concerned when I thought I couldn't beat a girl in tennis from Brighton High School. She is the only one I lost to all year. She took first in state that year and I took second. Dad was sure I could beat her. I may have lost, but I knew my dad believed in me. When John went on his mission I was really depressed that my tennis practice partner was going to be gone for two years. Dad had mercy on me and actually attempted to play with me. He struggled at keeping the ball in play but at least he cared enough to try. Dad stood up for me when he thought my volleyball coach was being unfair. And when I was on a roll serving in a volleyball game he would yell, "Go Janie", and that's the only time I remember him calling me that.

When I was little, I remember looking around at church and thinking that some families got to have their dad sit with them. I didn't know anything but having dad sit on the stand. Later on I remember Dad drawing in church. I still like to draw during meetings. Dad drew monkeys, horses and elephants that I remember. Dad not only supported me in my art he always came to see the shows I had at the schools where I taught. Dad was especially concerned when an artist didn't get a horse right.

Dad had the habit of hitting me on the behind when I walked by him or he loved to pull down our pajama bottoms. One time when Kathie brought a friend home, he thought I walked by and he reached up and thought he hit me on the behind. It was really Kathie's friend and he was really embarrassed.

Dad was great support about college. He told me that the first couple of years you kind of figure out what to do and it gets better after that, I think he was right. I was really excited to get my masters degree, I think dad would've been proud of me. One time I went back East to visit Kathie and I went through Denver on my way home. I had to change planes and as I got off in Denver there was dad waiting for me. He was coming home from a business trip and had arranged his schedule to meet me. That was great!

Memories of My Dad, James Robson Fletcher

By: Helen F. Foster

Some of the good memories I have of my dad include the way he enjoyed good food and sharing it with others. He loved to take us all out to dinner to a place like Chuck-A-Rama where we could all get as much good food as we wanted. He was famous for the turkeys he would cook for Thanksgiving or other occasions, and for years he cooked them in his own homemade grill. The family outings to Oakley revolved around the tinfoil dinners we would cook in the fire pit. I remember the sandwiches he made when we took a trip across the country. Saturday morning breakfasts bring back fond memories too, with Dad cooking biscuits or sausage or his tuna gravy, which he called Captain’s Special. Sometimes these big breakfasts would happen after a fun morning of talking and playing around on Mom and Dad’s bed. Some of my most vivid memories of home are the evening meal around the table with Dad telling us about what went on at work. Dad liked to share other good things too. He loved a good parade and would drag the rest of us along. He shared fireworks at Liberty Park on the 4th of July and Easter egg hunts at Union Park even in the snow. When he went on trips for work, he would share his travels through picture, stories, and the fun surprises he brought home. He liked to share a football game or other sporting events with the family. It was a big event to go to Jim’s football games or a BYU football game with the family. I remember tagging along to many sporting events where someone in the family was playing, and Dad was always there. There was an occasional trip to a movie at the theatre or to the swimming pool. If someone needed help with a school project, he was willing to share whatever knowledge or skills he had. I remember him helping me with my fifth grade science fair project and coming to school to talk about being an environmental engineer. Dad was good at sharing his special thoughts and feelings about his children in letters that he was asked to write. I have a couple of letters he wrote to me that really mean a lot to me. When I was in college and after I was married, Dad liked to take me once in a while on a shopping spree to a grocery store where he would get me anything I needed. One of the neatest things I shared with Dad was a temple trip. Not long before he died I was able to take him on a lunch date to the temple for Father’s Day, and he enjoyed sharing that time with me so much. He was always so happy to have his family come home and share good times with him.

Dad was a very talented person. It was fun to learn when I was older that Dad had been popular and successful in high school. I enjoyed finding out that he was a class officer, ran track, played football, and played the trombone. I was also proud to realize that he was successful in college and his profession doing important research. Dad always had friends. He knew a lot about a lot of different things. I remember him reading the newspaper every evening, and I remember him enjoying the National Geographic or the Smithsonian magazines. He was good at carrying out a big assignment whether it be for work, church, or family. He was a good leader and a hard worker. He was the one behind the family activities and traditions that kept our family close. He was a very good tease and practiced this talent throughout his life. Dad was very proud of his kids and very loyal to his family. He liked being a grandpa and was a good whistler. Dad honored the priesthood, and I feel like he was blessed with the gift of healing. When I was so sick, I had a great desire to have my dad give me a blessing. In that blessing, through the power of the priesthood, he promised me a miracle, and that blessing was fulfilled. Having Dad around to call on for blessings in times of need is one of the things I miss most about him.

Dad taught me many things. He taught me to be obedient. When he whistled for me to come home, I knew that I had better pay attention and head right home. He taught me that when he said no, he meant it, and that didn’t mean that I could go and ask Mom to see if I could get a different answer. He taught me that I needed to work on being more considerate. He taught me to stand up for what is right even when others do not. He taught me to not be annoying by poking people to get their attention. He taught me that parents could stand up for their kids. He taught me by example that service in the Church is important. He taught me that it is important to follow our church leaders. I remember him trying to be obedient to our leaders and having family prayer every evening. He taught me that growing a garden is also important. He taught his family in home evening too. I remember learning about opposition in all things and how it all made sense. I also remember a lesson about getting to the celestial kingdom and thinking afterwards that it was really possible.

Something I have come to realize over the years is that Dad did the best he knew how to do at being our dad. That doesn’t mean that he was perfect, but it does mean that I can appreciate all the good things he did as my parent. I always knew he loved me even if I did rub him the wrong way at times.